A Half Score
by Zura
Summary: An extended scene when Neytiri grieves over her father which is linked to events in the aftermath of the RDA's expulsion. Jake takes a solitary sojourn into the forest to settle a few accounts. Second in the "Skyward" series.


_Then_

She sat wailing in agony over her father's body. Fires burned around them and acrid smoke filled Jake Sully's avatar nose. Everything had gone straight to hell and worse it was he who was to blame. He'd given Quaritch everything, the scans of Hometree, the location of the Tree of Souls, he'd even told them how best to cut off their retreat if need be. For the moment the Colonel seemed to be satisfied with destroying hundreds of years of culture and tradition in a few minutes. So much he'd given away that crucial month before realizing what he was doing and that he could do it no longer.

It didn't matter now what he wanted or meant to do or wished he didn't do. The Omaticaya's home was still burning behind him. Neytiri still clutched her dead elder and clan leader. All of this was his fault. He could not stay here but he could not leave either. It didn't matter if she hated him now. It was not the time to run away.

"Why do you stay alien?" she snarled suddenly, looking up at him with malice he'd never seen before in her eyes. "Have you not heard me?"

"I heard you." Jake said absently.

"Then go! Go and never come back!" Reverently laying her father down she rose to face him with anger dominating her body language and voice.

"Where I come from you don't leave a loved one alone to be in pain. I'm not going anywhere."

"Pah! Skxawng! Loved one!" she spat.

"I'm sorry Neytiri..." he mumbled.

"You keep your sorry! Sorry no bring back my father!" she raged.

"I did everything I could to stop them." he said helplessly.

"I don't believe you alien! We take you in like a newborn from the trees, we teach you to see and this!?"

"What would you have me do?" he shot back. "Tell you they're coming? You should have already known they'd come for you eventually. And what would you do if I had told you? Attack them. Run into their guns. They would wipe out the Omaticaya in one day. One day! You saw your arrows do nothing against their ships. You _had_ to leave Hometree-"

"Enough!" she growled, moving dangerously close to him. "Your fault!"

"Yes." Jake acknowledged.

The unmistakable sound of a dagger coming free hit his ears a half second before it appeared in front of his face apparently on vibrate.

"I should _kill _you!" she hissed. Her eyes were wild and full of fury but there was something else too. There was panic, devastation and most of all fear. It was almost too much but Jake did not back down. Slowly, deliberately he put his hand on the shaking wrist that was offering him a knife and gently guided the edge of the blade to his neck. He let go, never once letting his eyes leave hers. Realizing after a few moments what had just happened Neytiri jerked away as if struck.

"If that will make you understand, make you see that I would die for the Omaticaya, for you, then do it. I feel everything as if this body were my own. I'd feel every second of it. It doesn't matter now, I'll probably be with Eywa soon enough."

Eying him suspiciously she said, "What do you mean?"

"Very soon now they will stop me from being here." Jake said matter of factly. He felt sick and angry but he felt detached most of all because he knew he was powerless to stop them from severing his connection. "After that, I'm pretty sure an execution is next."

Gradually Neytiri replaced her dagger in the sheath where it belonged. Turning away she said, "I don't believe you."

"Fine. But I'm staying here. This might be the last time I see you." he announced.

A few minutes later, a world away, Parker Selfridge said, "Pull the plug."

Jake was still standing over her when he fell unconscious and fled back to his first body.

* * *

Much had changed since the aliens had been banished back to the stars. The Omaticaya chose Jake Sully to be the next Olo'eyktan which of course he refused. Neytiri, his mate for life and teacher in all things Na'vi, informed him that the decision had been made. She suggested he spend the time working on his spoken Na'vi instead of fretting over the clan's choice. His first act had been finding a new place for the Omaticaya to call home.

The ikran and wind carried the clan's scouts to find a suitable location not far from the Hallelujah Mountains and _Vitraya Ramunong_. This was an important tactical choice if they ever had to fight the RDA again which Jake counted on as an inevitability, not a possibility. The crucial year would be the nearly ten years from when the human were escorted from the planet, roughly how long it would take for communications to reach Earth and for them to send an invasion force.

This was far in the future. For the moment Jake and the Omaticaya were busy adapting the new Kelutrel to their needs. It would take years to fully complete the tree's renovation into a proper habitat even with how industrious the people worked. Every member of the clan down to the last child pitched in to help build and replace what they had lost. Jake was amazed at the efficiency as his people wove sleeping pods, carved out living areas, organized communal areas and gathered skins to keep out the rain. Though he had never been good with his hands for anything but fighting Jake became quite adept at making bows and arrows. He had been slow to learn but as was becoming his trademark soon excelled once he had a firm grasp on the how to. Careful to practice only on the discarded or unshapely leftovers from construction efforts he also learned to recycle everything possible.

These days he spend much of his time at the new Kelutrel but early on after the RDA was ousted Jake spend much of his time either at the base or traveling in between it and home. The base itself had since been renamed St. Augustine where the few remaining researchers worked diligently on Pandoran botany and earth science under the watchful eyes of Dr. Norm Spellman and Dr. Max Patel.

Though his avatar had been killed during the battle with the RDA Norm was as dedicated to the preservation and protection of Pandora as he had ever been. Together he, Jake and Max had traveled out to the second mining site near the ruins of Hometree. Jake had personally gutted the fleet of bulldozers there to clear the area for beginning operations. Salvaging glass, fuel and parts from the gigantic and out of place monstrosities they thoroughly destroyed the necessary machinery they needed to run. The forest would soon claim the rest of the metal and replace what they had destroyed. Jake studied the area well while he was there and kept his eyes out for landmark going to and from the site.

While deciding to leave a nominal amount of firearms and ammunition for the defense of the humans at St. Augustine there was still a massive cache left to deal with. There was also the problem of what to do with the light industrial plant that could manufacture weaponry and ammunition as long as raw materials could be supplied. With the help of Norm and Max a plan was worked out to make the most of the situation. All existing weaponry excluding AMP suits and vehicles would be taken back to Kelutrel and stored on a special level with limited access. The plant would be disassembled piece by piece and flown to the Hallelujah Mountains where it would be reassembled and powered with solar charged batteries.

This posed a major problem since much of the machinery would be far too heavy for ikran. Jake reluctantly began made use of the RDA's excellent pilot training program and after two months of practice felt secure enough in his skill to begin making daily trips to and from Hometree with the light arms. It was a long flight back and forth which Jake would endure two or three times a day. He thought of Trudy often during these trips not just because it would have sped up the process to have her but that flying simply was not the same without her.

It took nearly two weeks to bring all of the available arms to Hometree and the weaponry filled the entire level. Sealed in moisture proof containers few Na'vi were allowed access to the cache. Jake would train them how to use the massive stockpile if the need arose in his lifetime. He fervently hoped it never would.

After completing the transport of the guns Jake felt skilled enough to make the trip to the Thundering Rocks to rebuild the production plant. First scouting the area with Neytiri they found a suitably large mountain with a hollow outcrop large enough for the plant to be built. It would be difficult to spot from the air and impossible to detect with electronic instruments. With the help of the researchers, particularly a machine-wise man named Dowds, their combined efforts had the plant up and running at its new location. Much of the sophisticated tools and machines the plant could produce simply could not be made in the presence of the vortex however the technically simple rifles and bullets were made with ease by the automated production line. Jake and Neytiri spent hours recording how to run the plant in Na'vi and putting them all over area. It was important to him that not only could the Na'vi use the plant with him not there but long after he had gone to be with Eywa.

With proper training every Ikran Makto could be a highly maneuverable, machine gunning warrior that could out fly a Samson easily. In addition to the large stockpile in Hometree itself the Omaticaya also had the plant as a renewing source of ammunition and an armory. Though they could not move the plant they could take the necessary raw materials there by ikran to fuel its needs. Jake made all of his warriors aware of these plans and how important it was to keep them secret. One thing was for sure, if war did come back it would be a much different one than they had fought the first time.

There remained a problem of the AMP suits and the numerous explosives, both military and industrial, the RDA had amassed. It was actually Max that came up with the plan to use them to rig the entire base to blow should the humans come back to that particular spot. The airfield and unobtanium processing plant were paid specific attention to. Jake felt almost remorseful for doing such a thing but he did it for the future security of the entire planet.

Back at Hometree there were plenty of exopacks on his armory level in case such a decision had to be made. In his shared living space with Neytiri Jake had installed a comm unit complete with solar recharger to keep in touch. If needed it could store the exabytes of information kept in the base's systems. Jake spoke often to Norm on the link which many of the Omaticaya had never seen. He was determined to keep as much technology from them as he could.

Most of them had only seen Norm once since the battle with the RDA but he was well known as a human as devoted to the People as Jake himself. The occasion was when Jake flew the bewildered scientist to the new Hometree for a special and surprise ceremony. Neither Jake nor the Omaticaya had forgotten that Norm had died once defending them and put a second life on the line despite his non-military background. For this bravery Jake made him an honorary member of the clan. Norm cried when they laid their hands on him and unwittingly began to drown himself in his own exopack's mask.

It was a strange thing to explain to some of their new clan members who were not as familiar with the dreamwalker's ways. After the battle some of the other clans decided to leave willing members behind to help the Omaticaya rebuild if only temporarily. Jake graciously accepted and though it pained him to lose any of his own returned the favor, sending some hunters out to help provide for the clans that had lost their own during the conflict. It would not hurt to encourage such close relations with the surrounding clans. Both Neytiri and Mo'at approved of his thinking and Jake needed no further confirmation.

A year or more had passed without him even noticing. So much had been on Jake's plate that he hadn't noticed the time flying by. There was still much to do but he spent most of days working on Kelutrel. While there was plenty to keep him busy something else had been nagging him for a long time. It was something he hadn't been able to at the time due to the circumstances and timing. It coincided with another task that he had long since earned the right to do. It would take careful planning and above all secrecy but he would pull it off and be back before anyone knew it.

Rousing himself early Jake switched the comm link on but did not activate the terminal. This let the machine boot up and show a blinking light to indicate a message had been received. In this instance it was a message that he himself had recorded the night before. He had taught Neytiri how to use the comm link to answer calls figuring that it would be good to have someone other than him able to answer it in cases of emergency. For now she would see the light and as soon as the terminal was turned on be prompted to watch his message.

Gathering his hidden supplies and equipment Jake quietly readied himself for the journey. He watched Neytiri a moment as she slept and was tempted to give her a goodbye kiss. Deciding against it in case she woke Jake took one last look before he stole out of the alcove and worked his way silently down.

The pink-purple sky was just beginning to glow on the horizon when he made it down to the forest floor proper. There was enough light to see and the nocturnal predators would be finding places to rest for the day. Jake started to run at a moderate pace as he was carrying both his hunting gear in addition to other items he could not do without. He had to be careful not to tire himself out too quickly lest concerned clans people find his trail and overtake him. Just to be sure he crossed steams when he found them to help obfuscate his path. It would not stop a determined hunter but it would slow them down.

Resting as little as possible Jake kept his eyes and ears open as he moved through the forest as he'd been taught. Scanning the canopy and watching the plants ahead for movement were just a part of the things that would keep him safe during the journey. It would be ill-advised to travel during the day so he slept in the trees concealed by a woven blanket which acted as camouflage. Ruefully remembering his first night in the forest Jake made sure to avoid doing all the things that Neytiri had rightly chastised him for. Making a fire, crashing through underbrush, attracting every nantang in the area. Even thinking of her berating him he missed her sleeping next to him.

Navigation was a tad trickier than he thought it would be but the hunter's training kicked in and he made good progress during the day. More importantly he knew he was on the right track and not hopelessly lost. It would have been much simpler and easier to simply place a beacon and track that. It would have been safer to carry a radio that could reach Norm in case he did become truly lost or injured but it went against the entire idea. He would do this the Na'vi way or not at all.

Several of the landmark trees, canyons and mountains told him he was no more than four days from his destination. Taking a rare moment to stop Jake indulged in the sweet fruit he had found growing next to a cluster of trees. It was the same kind that Grace had thrown at him what seemed like a lifetime ago. The taste was like nothing on Earth he had ever tried. Sweet but full of alien flavor it also lightly stung his tongue with a buzz from the harmless toxins the plant used to keep bugs from eating it. Since coming here it had long been one of his favorites and he nearly ate the entire thing. Leaving the remainder on the ground for the next hungry traveler he took a moment to soak in the sounds of the forest before continuing on his way.

On the fourth day he arrived earlier than he though he would still in the midst of morning. There was plenty of daylight left and Jake set up a small camp under a tree that was no means large by Pandoran standards but still taller than the mightiest oak. It was a short distance from his target and the end of his long trip, half of it anyway. The ground plant life had recovered from being smitten with flame and dozens of square meters of ash. Some muddy patches still remained but there was hardly a trace of the destruction once wrought around the massive remnants of the original Hometree. Despite being downed over a year ago it was still in good condition and new flora was already growing along its former base and on the spire itself. If he wanted to Jake could probably go in and collect the personal belongings of the Omaticaya still housed in its many alcoves.

Much of the hundred and fifty meter long trunk was undamaged by fire but Jake was not interested in that. It took a few minutes of walking just to get to the end of trunk where the incendiary missiles had hit. Missiles fired by Quaritch's gunships that Jake himself had instructed where and how to hit. No, he was not interested in the healthy, vibrant sections of the Omaticaya's former home. It had been more than thirteen months by an Earth calender since he had earned the right to take his bow from _this_ tree and he had come a long way to exercise that right.

Coming upon ground zero of the destruction Jake took a moment to survey the damage. Most of the gray had long since been replaced by green. He remembered reading somewhere that fires on Earth actually help the ecosystem regrow by enriching the ground with nutrients and clearing the ground for new seeds. Many seeds had taken root here and in six months time only the tree itself would likely remain as physical evidence of the event. That would not do.

Selecting the parts of the tree at the base of the trunk scorched gray and black Jake spent hours digging through the useless, rotting surface wood with his carried tools to get to the heat tempered but intact wood underneath of it. It was still discolored like the burned layers above it but strong and able to be used. Working all day Jake cut out dozens of three and half meter planks and stacked them in piles. It was dusk when he brought the pile to his mini camp near the edge of the untouched forest. Scaling the tree wearily Jake gladly found a comfortable spot and pulled his blanket over him, falling asleep nearly instantly.

Daylight gently woke him the next day and his stomach growled from lack of nutrition. Spending the first couple hours of the day foraging Jake stocked up for dinner before getting back to work. The first bow to be made would be his personal weapon to be used both ceremonially and in the hunt. It would be larger and thicker than the standard hunting bow to provide greater resistance and thus greater velocity. The wood he was using was dark brown and gray mixed together like splashes of paint when in reality they had simply undergone different amounts of heat.

Using the wood working tools he had brought Jake almost hypnotically carved out the base of the bow from one of the many planks he had stacked up at the base of the tree he's slept in. It took shape slowly the way a sculptor chips away at a slab of stone to form a statue. When Jake was done with the base of the bow he took pride in its beauty both in shape and implied functionality. He'd only brought the proper fittings to make this bow and none of the plant based glue for the grip but he'd thought ahead on that one. The rest of them could wait until he returned to be finished.

After spending an hour putting the finishing touches on the shape and carving decorations into each end of the bow he spent another couple customizing, decorating and perfecting what was turning out to be a magnificent war bow. Pausing a moment to let weary hands rest he watched a small group of _yerik _pick their way around the fallen trunk for foliage. There was no way he was going to take one down here where smoke could be seen for kilometers. For the moment and the next few days he would be subsisting on plants alone.

Just after midday Jake had been starting on a second, much simpler bow when something was disturbed in the forest behind him. It wasn't something dramatic or sudden like an animal calling out in surprise or a twig snapping but _something_ occurred that he couldn't quite pick out. He waited a few moments before the unidentified disturbance revealed itself. The sound of a small, insect-like creature had been audible for hours until just seconds ago when it went quiet.

"You can come out now." he called in Na'vi without looking up from what he was doing. From the corner of his eye he was a blue figure emerge from the thick underbrush. There was always the possibility he was being followed but he hadn't expected such a dogged pursuit. Someone would have to have been following his trail very closely and running faster than him to catch up in only a half a day. It was no surprise when he identified the light footed gait of a Na'vi woman which he could pick out of a crowd.

Jake set down his tools when Neytiri came up to him at last. "_Oel ngati kameie_" he said with a wide smile and she returned the smile, putting her hand to her forehead and curling it out to return his greeting. Dropping her bow she hugged him and they touched heads, breathing in for a few moments. Breaking apart she sat down with him under his camp tree.

"I thought if you had been following me you would have been here sooner. Thought I was home free." he admitted.

"You run faster than you used to." she laughed. He did not know why she liked to converse with him in English especially since his Na'vi had much improved the last year. Perhaps she simply enjoyed have a sort-of-secret code to use just between the two of them.

"You left signs for me. The uneaten seed told me you were only a day ahead of me." she continued.

"Given away by fruit." Jake sighed.

Rising she looked over his progress while Jake sat with his arms behind him supporting his leaning back. With an expert eye Neytiri ran her fingers along the smooth planks he had carved off. Picking up one of them she peered closely at the ends while Jake watched with a measure of trepidation. It wasn't the quality of his workmanship but the explaining he was going to have to do a lot earlier than expected.

"Jake the bow maker." she commented. "You have come a long way for this wood, Olo'eyktan."

"I did." Jake agreed and rose to join her. Retrieving his completed bow he took her hand. "C'mon, let's go sit in the shade by Hometree."

It was an easy distance back to the tree where Neytiri had grown up and Jake had been taught. Even downed it provided prodigious shade for them to sit in. Touching down Jake settled in cross legged and Neytiri took her place in front of him instead of by his side. Offering her the nearly finished bow she accepted it and studied it closely. It had still to be sanded down with a rough animal hide, strung and soaked in the same type of tree sap he'd once lit a fire with. This have the bow added suppleness and made it virtually waterproof.

"What this?" she asked, touching one of the decorated ends.

"Those are called 'lions'." He explained. "They're like _Palulukan_ only brown and smaller. And only 4 legs. And less mean."

"I have seen you carve these before." she said. Referring to the many practice carvings he'd done at home in preparation for making the bow Jake was shocked to learn they had been noticed. The design had taken him a while to perfect and he though he had destroyed all of the failures by turning them into wood kindling. She must have saved one.

"You've been planning this a long time." she deduced. Jake could not deny it and failed to say anything to rescue himself from the situation. Fortunately she continued to look over the bow instead of pressing the issue. Brushing the sets of stone sharpened bone spikes Jake had set into both ends of the bow she tugged on them to check their sturdiness. Placed in orderly clusters just after the decorative lion head ends of the bow they would function as added damage should Jake use the bow as a striking weapon.

There were four at the top end of the bow and six at the bottom end. He'd also tied exactly ten strips of leather to the lower center to make the grip and notched corresponding marks along the underside of the bow to match the spikes.

"Ten of these all." Neytiri remarked, the significance of the repeated number not lost on her. "What does this mean?" she asked while looking right at him.

Jake held out his hand and she returned the bow. Bringing it close to his face he said, "They're how many close calls I've had. How many times that I could have not been here. Since coming to Pandora anyway."

"So many...." she breathed.

"These four on the top, these are random things that could have gone either way. This one's for my first day out, escaping the _Palulukan_. This is when Trudy risked her life to free us. This one was making tsahaylu with the toruk, this one falling from the ship hundreds of meters in the air but surviving because of how you taught me to land."

"This good, Jake." She said solemnly. "But so far for this? Why go by yourself?"

"Well..." he said scratching his ear, "there's a few reasons for that. I wanted to do this for myself to show that I could make a trip like this without help. For the People, to remind them of the past, to show them I've never forgotten what happened."

"But you've done so much for them." she argued. "No Omaticaya doubts you Jake."

"One does."

"Who?"

Jake pointed at his chest.

"Is this why you came here? Why you left without saying where you were going?" she interrogated.

"Partly, yeah. Mostly because of the last six of the cuts and spikes on the bow." he answered.

"You have done enough Jake. The People have accepted you." she reasoned.

"This isn't about the People, Neytiri." Jake said slowly. "Well, it is and it isn't."

"What then?" she demanded, growing irritated.

"It's about me and you." he said. This was going to be harder then he thought. Taking a deep breath he resumed. "These ones on the bottom are for you. How many times you saved me or....or otherwise."

Neytiri was silent. She never said 'I don't understand' or 'I don't get it'. When she was perplexed she merely stared straight ahead until he explained himself. She did so now.

"This one for when we first met when you saved me from the nantang. This one when you threw Tsu'tey off me. I wasn't awake for that one but it still counts. These two for shooting Quaritch right before he uh...and this one for getting the exopack on me. Those last two could have been the same one but I'm calling them two since they were um, different."

That left two more which was almost certainly what she was thinking at that moment. Jake took another breath to steady himself. Her unflinching gaze was boring right through him.

"This uh...this one before we properly met. When you...took aim on me but didn't shoot."

Neytiri's amber eyes went wide and she scrambled to her feet. He thought she was going to run away but she retreated only a few steps and stood with her back to him.

"Who told you?" she asked quietly.

"Well...you kinda mentioned it in front of the whole clan-"

"Who?" she insisted.

"Mo'at." Jake confessed. "She said there should be no secrets between hus- er, mates."

Setting aside the bow Jake stood and came within an arm's reach of her. He longed to but did not touch her, instead forcing himself to finish what he wanted to say. "It's alright. I'm not angry. I would have done the same thing if I was in your shoes...if we wore shoes. I don't want you to feel bad, I just want it out in the open. On my bow to remind me all of this almost didn't happen."

Neytiri remained silent and with her back turned so he could not see how she was taking it. He decided to soldier on.

"The last one...well...you can probably guess what that's for." he said.

"I remember." she said barely above a whisper.

"I remember too." Jake began. "I remember you crying. I remember you holding your father and I remember the look in your eyes when you told me to leave. I remember your knife." he said all in a rush. His heart was beating thunderously and his face was hot. The memory was as fresh as the day before to him but he had to get the last of it out.

"I realized I never said I was sorry in a way that made sense. I didn't know how to. I mean, you'd lost so much so quickly and nothing I could say would ever be enough. It's bothered me for a long time. I tried to think of a way to tell you how sorry I am that really meant it. So I came here to do this. To show you I'd never stop making up for my mistakes. To ask you to forgive me."

She started to make a sound that Jake at first thought was crying. Then he realized Neytiri was doing the last thing he ever thought she would be doing in a million years at that moment. She began to laugh, haltingly at first and then deep from the gut. She turned and she _was_ crying but also laughing. Beyond bewilderment Jake could only stand by dumbly when she came forward and hugged him so tight it made his ribs ache.

"Skxawng...you stupid, stupid man..."she whispered.

"I uh.....uh....what just happened...." was all Jake could think to say.

* * *

_Then_

She watched him fall dead to the nightmare world where he had been standing. It was a horrible thing to watch when it happened like the life had been snatched out of him. Even with what was going on his words rang in her ears as her nose was filled with her home burning and human exhaust. A dagger to his neck and he was still, he was calm. No fear. Ready to die. Dead men do not tell lies.

Setting down her father she leaned over Jake's limp body. He was breathing but there was no life in him. Would that be the last time the spoke? In anger? Sadness?

It was a misted path. He had admitted he knew of the sky people's plans but had tried to get them to leave before the cursed machines sent fire into Kelutrel. Putting her head by his ear she whispered in English that he might hear and understand her.

"If what you say is true come back. Come back and show me there is Omaticaya in you and not sky people. Then we will know it was not you. Don't come back and we will know you are either untrue or dead."

Neytiri stood up and looked to the black sky. The day would wear on. She had to find a suitable place to bury her father.

* * *

Leaning against the trunk of the former Hometree the pair sat in silence for a long while. Neytiri scooted up next to him and put her arm around him.

"I don't know what to say." Jake managed at last.

"Tttt. Say nothing. No darkness in your heart, Jake."

"I...I guess." he said.

"Don't guess. Know." she advised and put her head on his shoulder.

"I had to be sure. I had to...do something." he mused.

"The Na'vi do not say what does not need to be said." she murmured.

"Yeah well sometimes humans need to hear what does not need to be said." he countered. "One question though. I said in my message not to follow me. Why did you come anyway?"

"I didn't listen to it." she said happily. "You never wake early. I saw the light and a watchman told me he saw you go."

"Damn. Thought I made a clean getaway."

"A question for a question. Why so many bows?" she asked.

"They're for the children and for our guests to take back with them to their clans, if they ever do leave." he explained.

"So they don't forget?"

"Right."

How were you getting them back?" she asked. Jake hadn't thought of that part quite yet. He figured he'd figure it out after the were all done.

"Um...not sure yet."

"Skxawng ." she teased.

Jake closed his eyes. Life was good for the moment. He had worried about this day but it turned out to mostly be for nothing. To know that was a giant weight off of him.

"You know, we should get to work." he speculated. "What if the....others." he stopped, realizing Neytiri had fallen asleep on his shoulder. It had likely been a very long day for her physically only to have it end up being emotionally draining as well.

"Way to keep a lady riveted Jake." he said aloud.

They were not terribly far from St. Augustine, well, closer than going all the way home. Maybe they'd stop in and pay the humans a visit. It had been months since they'd seen each other in person and it wouldn't hurt to show off his new bow to Norm. Jake considered giving him one of the children's bows to practice with but knowing Norm he'd just find a way to somehow shoot himself with an arrow.

Life was good. Jake watched the clouds go by overhead like great beasts roaming over the wild lands.


End file.
